Business Support
Small Business Resources
Main Street Hanover is working to expand the economic capacity of downtown Hanover, with the goals of improving the business environment, enhancing the quality of place and increasing community synergy. We welcome you and your business and look forward to a collaborative relationship full of success and growth. Here in Hanover, we have access to a variety of resources that assist small businesses. From starting a business to succession planning, marketing, financing and anything in between, there are resources for you to manage the ins-and-outs of running a small business.
General Business Consulting
LOCAL RESOURCES, PROFOUND SUCCESS
Below are some of the local resources that offer general business consulting:
Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
The Pennsylvania Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) provide education and no-cost consulting services to entrepreneurs and small business owners. The SBDC is ready to help you grow your business. The SBDC’s one-on-one management consulting emphasizes education and guidance in finding practical solutions to business problems. Consulting is confidential and provided at no-charge by a staff of skilled professionals.
Susquehanna SCORE
The Susquehanna, Pennsylvania Chapter of SCORE is part of a national nonprofit association dedicated to entrepreneur education and the formation, growth and success of the nation’s small businesses. Susquehanna SCORE has provided free and confidential business mentoring since 1979, tailored to meet the needs of emerging and growing businesses and small business owners’ personal objectives. We see an average of 45 companies for individual mentoring from York and Adams Counties each month. More than half of them return to SCORE multiple times as their businesses launch and they reach new milestones of growth and development. Susquehanna SCORE volunteers are seasoned professionals, many of them actively involved in current ventures of their own, who donate thousands of hours to help small businesses succeed. Our mentors are experts in such areas as accounting, finance, marketing (including social media), food-based businesses, engineering, manufacturing, management and business planning. They undergo ongoing mentoring training and certification from the SCORE national association.
U.S. Small Business Administration
Since its founding on July 30, 1953, the U.S. Small Business Administration has delivered millions of loans, loan guarantees, contracts, counseling sessions and other forms of assistance to small businesses. SBA provides assistances primarily through its four programmatic functions:
Access to Capital
SBA provides small businesses with an array of financing for small businesses from the smallest needs in microlending – to substantial debt and equity investment capital (venture capital).
Entrepreneurial Development
SBA provides free individual face-to-face, and internet counseling for small businesses, and low-cost training to nascent entrepreneurs and established small businesses in over 1,800 locations throughout the United States and US territories.
Government Contracting
In keeping with the mandate of Section 15(g) of the Small Business Act, SBA’s Office of Government Contracting sets goals with other federal departments and agencies to reach the statutory goal of 23 percent in prime contract dollars to small businesses. This office also provides small businesses with subcontracting procurement opportunities, outreach programs, and training.
Advocacy
Created in 1978, this Office reviews Congressional legislation and testifies on behalf of small business. It also assesses the impact of the regulatory burden on behalf of small businesses. Additionally, it conducts a vast array of research on American small businesses and the small business environment. The Chief Counsel of this office is appointed by the President of the United States.SBA’s suite of tools can help you at any stage of your business venture. From initial counseling and business planning to contracting with the government and finding seminars to grow your business – there’s something for every entrepreneur to get the help they need. Let us help you find what you’re looking for today.
Specialized Support
Additional Resources
Another tool Main Street Hanover has created is the Hanover New Business Manual. This Manual will: Introduce you to Main Street Hanover, help you understand the basic steps to plan and open your business, provide you with information to guide you in your decision making process , and help you manage the business development process so you open quickly and efficiently. Also newly available is our Business Recruitment Brochure. It contains some demographic information of our community as well as local business success stories. For additional resources, including industry specific resources and more specialized support, please visit the Small Business Info Center found on the York County Economic Alliance website for helpful links to organizations who are able to offer guidance that will help you reach your business goals.
Hanover at the Tip of Your Fingers
Discover what else Hanover has to offer during your visit.
